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Jordan Henderson
Jordan Brian Henderson (born 17 June 1990) is an English international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liverpool. Liverpool career Henderson signed for Liverpool from Sunderland on 9 June 2011 for a fee in the region of £16,000,000. After joining Liverpool Henderson said "I'm over the moon, overjoyed to be here and I'm really looking forward to it." On 8 July 2011 Henderson was handed the number 14 jersey, previously worn by Milan Jovanovic and Xabi Alonso. Henderson made his debut for Liverpool in a friendly on 23 July 2011 in the 0-3 defeat against Hull. His competitive debut came on 13 August 2011 against his former club Sunderland, where Liverpool achieved a 1-1 draw. He scored his first Liverpool goal against Bolton on 27 August 2011 with a curling left foot shot into the top corner of the net. Henderson started each of Liverpool's first eight competitive games of the 2011-12 season- often featuring as a right-sided midfielder, however he lost his place with the return to fitness of Steven Gerrard, but still appeared frequently as a substitute. He gave a particularly impressive cameo appearance against Manchester United at Anfield on 15 October 2011, as he twice almost won the match for Liverpool. He first forced a fine diving save from United 'keeper David De Gea after firing a neat lob, then headed narrowly over in the dying minutes of the match which finished 1-1. Henderson regained his place in the starting XI during the winter as Gerrard was ruled out with an ankle infection and Lucas Leiva sustained a serious knee injury. His performances garnered praise from manager Kenny Dalglish and other pundits as he began to grow into his central midfield role with some competent and mature displays. In the new year however, Liverpool's League form took a substantial turn for the worse, which would go on to last for the duration of the season. Henderson, along with a number of other Liverpool players, came in for criticism during this time and was often spoken about as being 'anonymous' in matches, however he maintained a place in the starting XI for the vast majority of the team's matches- including both the 2012 League Cup Final and the 2012 FA Cup Final. He netted his second Liverpool goal on 8 May 2012 in a home League game against Chelsea, finding himself one-on-one with their 'keeper and cooly slotting low into the net. Henderson finished the season having made more competitive appearances than any other Liverpool player, with 48. In the 2012-13 season however, new manager Brendan Rodgers bolstered his midfield options with the additions of Joe Allen and Nuri Sahin and, with the return of Lucas Leiva, Henderson began the season lower down the Liverpool pecking order. On 30 August 2012, it was reported that Liverpool had attempted to transfer Henderson to Fulham with the aim of recruiting Clint Dempsey in a swap deal, however Henderson refused the move. On 8 November 2012, Henderson made his 60th appearance for the club but was on the losing side in a 1-0 defeat to Anzhi. Despite his willingness to move Henderson on in the summer, Rodgers spoke of how impressed he had been with the youngster since taking the helm at Anfield. On 17 November 2012, with Liverpool playing Wigan at home, midway through the first half with the score at 0-0 and Liverpool struggling to break down a stubborn Wigan side, Rodgers substituted Suso for Henderson and Liverpool went on to win the match 3-0. Many applauded the impact of Henderson and his role in helping improve Liverpool's forward play during the match to help claim the three points. Henderson made his first League start of the season on 25 November 2012 in an away 0-0 draw with Swansea. On 6 December 2012, Henderson scored his first goal of the season, hitting the winner in Liverpool's Europa League tie away to Udinese. The goal sealed Liverpool's place in the knockout stage of the competition. He netted again on 19 January 2013, scoring Liverpool's first goal in a 5-0 win against Norwich with an impressive half-volley from the edge of the area. He followed this up with a strike in the next League game, away to Arsenal on 30 January 2013. With Liverpool 1-0 up, Henderson broke in the Arsenal box, battling a host of Gunners defenders to fire a shot that was blocked, before slotting in the rebound. The game however finished all square at 2-2. Despite his good form, the January acquisitions of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho prompted Brendan Rodgers to experiment with a four-man forward line, with Gerrard and Lucas preferred in a two-man midfield. On 31 March 2013, Henderson returned to the starting line-up and scored the equalising goal in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, latching on to a Philippe Coutinho through-ball and finishing with a chip over the keeper. Henderson produced an all-round good display, and this prompted calls from the fans for Rodgers to not drop Henderson from the starting XI again. Henderson did retain his place in the team for the coming games and, on 27 April 2013, netted twice in an away 6-0 victory over Newcastle. His first goal put Liverpool 2-0 up, slotting into an open goal after a swift counter attacking move saw Daniel Sturridge play in the former Sunderland man. He then scored Liverpool's sixth goal with a free kick from the left flank, which evaded everybody to nestle in the far corner. Henderson also provided an assist in the match, playing in Sturridge to score Liverpool's fourth. On 27 August 2013, Henderson netted his first goal of the 2013-14 season, nutmegging the defender and bending it round the keeper to score Liverpool's fourth in a 4-2 win over Notts County. Honours Liverpool *League Cup: 1 (2012) Stats External links * *Jordan Henderson's profile on liverpoolfc.com * Henderson Henderson